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Oh, hiiiii there! Long, loooong time, no talk. I knew I’d make it back here one of these days. It’s been an interesting and exciting past month around these parts. I’ve happily started to find a groove with my schedule, had a great trip home, spent some time with my favorite little girl [.. and the rest of my family], and spent some QT with the hubs.

Playing piano with my girl.

Learning colors.

Happy to go to an Orioles game with 3 of my favorite people!

During Nathan and my 8 mile hike on Nimitz Trail.

One of my favorite things to do with Nathan is take a walk to the farmers’ market every Saturday. The fruit we’ve been getting lately has been out of this world and I knew I had to put some of it to good use for this month’s Recipe ReDux.

Tucked in a crust, nothing says love from the oven like pie. Whether it’s a twist on the all-American apple pie or a traditional recipe from your home country, give a healthy makeover to your favorite savory or sweet pie recipe.

This dessert came together in just a matter of minutes and is the perfect single-serving size. And the best part? Aside from the peanut butter, of course, is the secret ingredient, chia seeds. They serve as a thickener for the filling and are also a great source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids, protein, nutrients that help support bone health, such as calcium and magnesium. Happy dessert-ing!

Single Serving PB&J Pie Parfait

Serves 1

Ingredients

5 mini or 1 1/2 regular Reese’s Oreos

3/4 tsp coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

1 tbsp chia seed

1 tbsp peanut butter

2 strawberries; sliced

Directions

In a food processor, combine the cashew milk, chia seed, and peanut butter. Set aside in a small bowl for 1-2 hours and allow to thicken.

After the peanut butter mix has thickened, place the Oreos and coconut oil in a food processor and blend until they come together.

Press 1/3 of the mix into a small glass and top with 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture and 1/2 of the strawberry slices.

Sprinkle another 1/3 of the Oreo mix on top with the other 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture and the other sliced strawberry.

I used to be in the school of thought that a cleanse of sorts, maybe a 5- or 7-day slim down, was the way to go after an extended period of over-indulgence. It worked out for me for a while but eventually it felt like I was forcing myself to eat things I didn’t want for faster results. Not to mention, I’d often end up hungry at the end of the day. That 5-day slim down quickly turned into 2 days and me feeling frustrated with myself.

These days, things are a little different. I’ve realized that because I do eat healthy 80-90% of the time, just going back to my regular eats is more than enough to get me feeling back to normal. Not to mention I’m actually feeling satisfied by eating what I want. Go figure..

[Breakfast]
I typically go back and forth between my favorite protein oats with nut butters and some variation on protein pancakes. I’m currently on an oatmeal kick and I’m loving it.

[Morning Snack]
I used to be pretty routine with my snacks and almost never missed an extra bite to eat in the morning. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed I haven’t been as hungry for a morning snack. I’m not sure if it’s because I tend to eat breakfast a little bit later now or my decrease in cardio. Yesterday, however, I needed more food!

[Lunch]
I must have had a serious lack of vegetables over the past week or 2 because I’ve been craving salads like nobody’s business! People preach the importance of trusting and listening to your body; my veggie cravings really show the truth in that. I’m not forcing myself to eat a salad but it’s just so satisfying. Your body knows best!

The stars of this BAS [big ass salad] were definitely the roasted sweet potato and baked almond tofu. Again, the nut butters in every meal. No surprise here!

[Afternoon Snack]
When I was working a 9-5, my afternoon snacks would always be a bar of some sort; Think Thin, KIND, etc. Now that I have some afternoons at home, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to whip something up and leave the more processed foods for when I need the convenience.

My very favorite peanut butter mug cake was calling but we have the perfect number of eggs left for tomorrow’s breakfast [seriously, 18 eggs in 3 days over here!] so I made it vegan with a flax egg. The texture was a little different but just as wonderful! A little extra peanut butter and a crumbled [stale] dark chocolate pretzel never hurt anyone.

[Dinner]
Dinners this week are veggie- and lean protein chicken-heavy. I told Nathan to expect light meals all week so we can get ourselves back to normal. He’s been a good sport and we’ve both been happy to reap the benefits of light, healthy, home-cooked meals.

His request: dry-braised green beans. Lots of chicken for both of us and sauteed bok choy for me too. Quite possibly the healthiest Chinese dish ever ha!

[Evening Snack]Often I go for an apple at night. I like the crunch, the little bit of sweetness, and if I haven’t quite had enough nut butter throughout the day, I’ll slice up my apple for dipping. Sometimes, however, I’m craving something a little bit more indulgent. The best desserts are those thattaste indulgent but aren’t, right? Enter Forte Gelato..

This protein gelato has only 160 calories and 2.5g fat, is packed with 15g protein, and most importantly is SO delicious! Of the 4 flavors—vanilla, chocolate, ginger, and espresso—I’d have to say my top 2 are ginger and espresso. The ginger is similar to the vanilla but which a little extra spiciness and the espresso is similar to the chocolate but with an espresso punch.

Aside from the creamy texture and simple, clean flavors, I really appreciate the short ingredient list. It’s not something you’d expect from a product like this! If you’re an gelato/froyo/ice cream fan like I am, I’d definitely recommend getting yourself a delivery soon!

After just 3 days of getting my eating back to normal, I’m already feeling so much better [you know, despite the stomach bug..] It just goes to show how much food truly is fuel and can effect they way you feel. Besides, how many cleanses let you eat gelato? 😉

Food for Thought

Are you a cleanser or do you prefer to go back to your regular eats to feel normal again?
Have you or would you try a protein gelato?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary shipment of Forte Gelato. All thoughts and opinions of the product are my own.

We’re usually pretty good about sticking to our weekly meal plan even if we do swap a few days every now and then. I’m kind of a stickler for eating at home during the week, but when Nathan walked in after work yesterday asking if I wanted to grab a cocktail, I couldn’t say no. It had already been a long week and it was only Tuesday! It was an impromptu date night and it was just so nice.

[Breakfast]
I’ve been loving a new protein pancake recipe this week—I’m calling them coco-peanut butter pancakes. I’m still adjusting ratios a bit for the perfect texture but I will definitely be sharing the recipe soon.

[Morning Snack]
And because I haven’t had enough peanut butter, this PB&J yogurt “parfait” is hitting the spot!

[Lunch]
I was loving the smoothies at work for lunch but recently I’ve been in more of a salad mood. Especially with the delicious leftover brussels and sweet potato we’ve had!

[Afternoon Snack]
I pretty much could have eaten a horse yesterday. This was snack #2 after a lemon vanilla Luna protein bar. The gelato is pretty amazing and I’ll be posting a real review soon!

[Happy Hour]

Prizefighter is known for their cocktails. I’ve only been there once before but Nathan never had before and it was such a gorgeous night; perfect for a drink outside! My drink was the Tennessee Rye – rye, orange bitters, lemon, and soda. His was the Reconquista – mezcal, punt e mes, and aperol. They were both perfectly balanced and hit the spot. We’ll be back for sure!

[Dinner]

Dinner was an early one at Jasmine Blossom. They have an awesome happy hour—$3 drinks and $5-7 appetizers.

I got the fresh roll filled with beets, carrots, vermicelli noodles, mint, and lettuce and served with the most delicious peanut sauce I’ve ever tasted! Because clearly there’s never enough peanut butter in my life. I might have been nice enough to share the roll with Nathan too. I also got the ginger chicken salad which I love—it’s light and super flavorful. Nathan ordered the chicken pad kee mao which is essentially drunken noodles and again, delicious.

[Midnight Snack]
Dinner actually kept me full longer than I expected but my stomach was grumbling before bed so I grabbed a spoon, a jar of PB, and a little granola. Mmmmmmm.

And now it’s just a few more days till we’re headed home 🙂

Food for Thought

Do you stick to eating at home during the week or do you go out?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary shipment of Toasted Coconut and Blueberry Almonds from BlueDiamondTasteMakers.com. All thoughts and opinions of the product are my own.